Washing machine



G. E. RANDLES Iune 2, 925.

WASHING MACHINE Filed June 25 1924 Patented .lune 2, 1925.

UNITE fear-sfr e-Frice.

`wnsHrNG laecniivn.

Application filed. .Tune 25, 1924. ASerial No. 722,394.

To all whom it may concern: Y

Be it known that I, Geenen E. RANDLns, a citizen oit the United States,.residing at Cleveland, in the county ol Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new' and useful Improvements in Washing Ma! chines, of which the following is a specilica` tion. i t y f The present invention relates to washing machines and especially to washing machines of the suction cup or pounder type.

The primary object of my invention is Vto provide an improved arrangement. 'for preventing leakage of water down along the plunger` rod andanarrangement whereby should any y leakage occur, the drops `oi water will be prevented from linding their way `intothe gear casing,

For a Jconsideration of what I believe to be novel and my invention, attention is directed to the accompanying description and the yclaims appended thereto.

.Inf the drawing, Fig. 1 is. aside elevation, partly in section,of `a washing machine em bodyingmy invention; Fig, 2 is a detail. sec-v tional v'iew of certain parts on a larger scale; Fig. 3 is a sectionalview of the suction cupmounting and plunger rod packing; Fig. et is a detailview of the suction cup mounting,`and Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a packing.

Referring to the drawing, 6- indicates a gear casing,supported` by legs 7 and containing mechanism `for actuatingV the plunger rod 8. This mechanism may be of `any suitable type.; For example, it. may be ot the character disclosed in my Patent Number 1,520,886, dated December `30, 1924.v In the top of the casing is a depression 9 providing atop wall 10 through `which plunger rod 8 extends and in vertical spaced relation to wall 10 is a block 11 suitably attachedto, the top wall of casing f6by a'number of screws 12. 'Block12is provided with a threaded opening into which is screwed the lower end 18 of a stationary tubular post 111. vMounted on gearcasing 6` is a frame 15 in. which a tubf16 is mounted, the tub sitting on top of casing 6. The center of thebottom of the tub sits on block` 11` vand is held thereon by a flange or collar 17 on poet `la, a packing 18 being provided between the tub and block to effect a water tight joint.

Tubular post 14 is of a diameter somewhat greater than plungerrod 8 and at its upper end it is provided with a neck 19 with whichL the rod has a sliding lit. The outer surface of neck 19 is threaded to receive a packing nut/2() andbetwecn this nut and the' upper end of post 141s located a packing 21. This packing is of special construction', ,(see Fig.,

5) l and comprisesA an inner portion 22' of"- librous material which has been treated with' a suitable lubricant and an outer portion '23` of rubber. I have found thiat'byA using av packing `member of this typea much' tighter Joint is obtained because when tliepackingA nut 2Ov isy lscrewed downl to com-press'thej packing, the-"resiliency of the rubber:` portion oi the'packing serves tohold the fibrous portion of the packing in` close contact' with' the plunger rod and permits'it to yconform lo the contour of the rod. At the Sametime, however, the `rubber vportion permits the packing to yield enough` so as not to bind on the rod.

Now, with aV machine of this type, it* is important that if anywater leaks past packing 21 such water; should be prevented from running down the plunger rod andlinding its way into the gear casing, an'da.V feature of my vinvention is the improved means which I have devised for preventing this/from occurring. According to'thisfeature ofmy invention, I provide on-the plunger rod a member 221 which Iter-1n an umbrella. This umbrella has a smooth top wall 25 andl a depending skirt or flange '26, the

vlower end of which is beveled to provide a sharp edge 27. In the. Vpresent instance plunger rod 81s shown as beingy formedin two parts connected by a threaded coupling` member 28and umbrella 24 is shown' as being formed `as `a` part of the coupling member and as being. held between` the. adjacent ends of the two plunger rod sections,

the top and 'bottom walls of the umbrella The umbrella is located on Athe plunger rod at a point such that upon theA down` stroke of the rod it passes below thejflower edge of the end 13 of post'14f. At the/point where plunger rod' 8 passesthrough top wall'lO there is provided a .metallic packing sleeve 29 the upper end of which pro'- jects well above the top surface of such wall andin the top of wall 10 there is provided an annular depression or pocket 30. Both umbrella 24 and end 13 are 01"' greater diameter than packing sleeve 29 as will be seen from an inspection of F ig. 2.

lVith this arrangement, 'any water which leaks past packing 21 will run down the plunger rod until it strikes the topY of. thev umbrella. It will be then Vdeflected outwardly by the umbrella and will run down its outer surface and gather on the lower edge of skirt or flange 26 in the 'former'v drops. These drops will cling to the outer lowerend of the skirt or 'flange on account of the sharp edge 27 thereon. On the down stroke oit the'plungerlrod these drops are carried down below the end 13 of post 14, and then on the up stroke they are wiped ofi the edge of the umbrella by the lower edge of end 13 and dropV off of it and run Y into pocket 30. The umbrella thus serves asa means for transferring the water from the plunger rod to the tubular post. The beveled kedge `on the umbrella prevents the drops of water from running in toward the plunger rod and soj'iinding its way to the 'top of packing `sleeve 29. Of course, drops of water may transfer from the umbrella to the inner surface of tubular post k14 and if this occurs such drops lwill run down the surface of the lpost and drop oi into pocket 30. In this connection lit will be understood that the quantityl of water likely to leak past packing 21 is in any event small and any that collects in pocket will readily evaporate.

By collecting the water in a pocket it is prevented 'from running down the gear casing and streaking it, thus marring its appearance, and from ruiming onto the lio-o1'. In actual practice, I have found that a clearance ol about 15 of an inch between the, umbrella and the inner surface oit post 14 is. satisfactory.

The prevention oleakage ofl any water into the gear casing is particularly iinportant in case the actuating mechanism within the gear housing is lubricated with oil because the mixture of water with the oil tends to destroy its lubricating qualities. By my improved construction, I prevent any water iinding its way into the gear casing. At the same time the arrangement is simple in structure and can be embodied in a machine at low cost.

Referring now to the suction cup orvbell mounting, 31 indicates a yoke which is adjustably,r mounted onthe upper end yof plunger rod 8 by a spring-pressed pin 32 adapted to engage any one of several spaced openings 33 in the upper end of the plunger rod. At the ends of the yoke arms are downwardly facing Ysockets 34 which are closed at the tops by smooth top walls 35 which are rounded sop-as to present apleasing appearance and leave no sharp corners. Extending through the walls forming socketsl 34 are openings 36 which are threaded at their inner ends and are adapted to receive screws or pins 37. The suction cups or bells 38 arel riveted or otherwise suitably attached to flanges 39 on the lower ends of tubular stems 40. Stems 4Q are provided with internal rshoulders 41 upon which seat the lower ends of springs 42, the upper ends o1e such springs enga-ging nuts or plugs 43 which screw into the upper, open ends of the stems. Nuts 43 are provided with downwardly open slots 44 which stand in line with elongated slots 45 in'stems 40 and with openings 36, screws 37 passing'through slots 44 and 45. Slots 44 fare of a depth such that screws 37 canjust pass Vthrough them above the tops 'of vsprings 42, the springs being` thus in engagement wth the screws. The springsy are' held under the desired compression by nuts or plugs 43. The slots45 in 'stems' 40 are of a lengthsuch as to permit ofthe desired axial movement of stems 40 in sockets 34. When the upward pressure on the suction cups is excessive, springs 42 yield to permitstems 40 tomove upwardin sockets 34,'springs 42 being compressed against the pins 37. e

This spring mounting has the advantage that itris simpley in structure, is easy to assemble, and leaves the yoke with a perectly smooth exterior and without cracks or joints into which water can leak. In assembling the yoke structure, the springs 42 are placed in stems 40 after which nuts 43 are screwed into position tohold the springs compressed, the nuts being turned to bring slots 44 into line with slots 45. The stems are then inserted into sockets 34 and screws or'pins 37 put into position. Thus the operation of assembling can be quickly and easily performed. The spring mounting for ther suction cup is'not claimed herein as it forms the subject matter of my application, Sr. No. 752,836, filed November In accordance with the provisions ofthe patent statutes, I have described the principle of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus whichI now consider to represent the best 'embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention maybe carried out by other means. e

That I cla-im as anew and desireV to secure by Letters Patent lof the United States, is

l. In a suction cup" washing machine, the combination of a tub, a tubular post therein, a plunger rod which extends up through the post in spaced relation to the wall of the post, and means carried by the plunger rod for transferring water from the rod to the inner surface of thetubular post.

2. In a suction cup washing machine, the combination of a tub, a tubular post therein, a plunger rod which extends up through the post in spaced relation to the wall of the post, and an umbrella on the rod for transferring water from the rod to the tubular post.

3. In a washing machine, the combination of a gear casing, a tub located above it,

a tubular post in the tub, a plunger rod' `which projects up through the top of the gear casing and said post, a pocket in the top ot' said gear casing surrounding the rod, and means carried by the rod for delecting water leaking along the rod into said pocket.

4. In a washing machine, the combination of a gear casing having a wall provided with a depression, a tub mounted on the casing, a tubular post in the tub the lower end of which terminates above the top wall of said depression, a plunger rod which projects up through the top wall of said depression, and through the tubular post, and an umbrella on the rod which moves from a point below the lower end of the tubular post up into the post, said umbrella serving to transfer water from the plunger rod to the tubular post.

5. In a suction cup washing machine, the combination of a tub, a tubular post therein, a plunger rod which extends upV through the post in spaced relation to the wall of the post, vand an umbrella on the rod for transferring water from the rod to the tubular post, said umbrella having a sharp lower edge.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 20th day of June, 1924.

GEORGE E. RANDLES. 

